Non-Citizen Immigrants Eligible For In-State Tuition

Undocumented immigrants that meet certain criteria still will be eligible for in-state tuition at Oklahoma public colleges, according to a policy adopted today by the State Regents for Higher Education, The Oklahoman reports today.

Students that have lived in Oklahoma for at least two years and graduate from high school will remain eligible for in-state tuition if they have filed an application with the federal government to legalize their immigration status. Those students will no longer be eligible for state-provided scholarships such as Oklahoma's Promise and the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant.

Last year only 244 undocumented students attended Oklahoma colleges, mostly at Oklahoma City Community College and Tulsa Community College. While they cost the state $112,000 in tuition waivers and state aid, they contributed $238,785 in tuition and fees, said Rep. Shane Jett, R-Tecumseh.

"Whatever aid was given has been a minute part of the whole budget,” said Jett. "They do not take away seats from those students who are native-born.”

The new policy was necessary to comply with the state's new immigration law that takes effect November 1st and applies to colleges starting in the spring semesters, a spokesman said. Regents voted 5 to 1 in support of the policy, with three regents abstaining.

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Reynolds Moves To Limit Regent Tuition Hikes

To ensure tuition rates at Oklahoma colleges grow at a reasonable rate, Rep. Mike Reynolds plans to take tuition authority back from the Regents for Higher Education and return it to the Oklahoma Legislature, he said Tuesday.

"The Regents aren't accountable to the voters, but the Legislature is," Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, said. "Even in years when Higher Ed receives record appropriations, they increase tuition by the maximum amount allowed. The current system has proven to be a failure and the Legislature must take back its tuition powers permanently."

For years, the Oklahoma Legislature had to approve tuition increases at Oklahoma colleges, but lawmakers ceded that authority to the Regents in 2003. Since that time, the Regents have imposed draconian increases that are making college unaffordable for many families.

In the past five years, state appropriations to Oklahoma colleges have increased by more than $227.9 million, a jump of 28.8 percent. State colleges received roughly $1 billion from the state last year, a record amount. But even with that gigantic surge in state funding, the Regents have increased tuition and fees by 48.3 percent during the same period, pricing many students out of a college education, Reynolds noted.

House Bill 1020, by Reynolds, would again place the Oklahoma Legislature in control of tuition rates. "The Regents have no motivation to control tuition increases, and are not accountable to any Oklahoma voters." Reynolds said. "The point of a higher education system is to produce college graduates, not increase bureaucrats' budgets. We need someone who is accountable to working families and cares about and the affordability of college to be in charge of tuition decisions, and the Oklahoma Legislature is the best candidate for that job."

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